This invention relates to a device for producing decorative patterns on clothing. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved stretcher structure for use in conjunction with a spinning device for producing individualized designs on clothing such as shirts and other articles by spin art techniques.
In recent years the popularity of individualized clothing has resulted in a market for shirts and other articles of clothing on which the design or pattern has been created by the spin art technique. In this regard, the patentee of the present invention has introduced to the market a device for producing such decorative patterns on clothing. This device which is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,679, issued to Pipo, et al. which is hereby incorporated by reference, provides apparatus which supports an article of clothing in a flat position while spinning the article at high speed after or during the application of various liquid coloring agents to its surface. In order to support the article of clothing in a flat position, a component referred to as a stretcher is utilized.
As discussed in the above-identified patent, the stretcher is adapted to hold the garment such as a tee shirt in a flat position while preventing bleed through to the side of the garment opposite to that being decorated. The stretcher is provided in various sizes for supporting different size articles of clothing. In use the stretcher is detachably mounted on a stretcher carrier which is adapted to hold the stretcher and associated garment and rotate it around a central axis normal to the plane of the stretcher.
In the past, stretchers have been made of a thin relatively non-porous, pliable material such as cardboard or masonite. While generally satisfactory results have been obtained, the heretofore known stretcher devices have given rise to certain problems. One of the most troublesome of these problems is the build-up of excess coloring agent in the areas located proximate to the geometric center of the stretcher. The accumulation of coloring agents is due to a lack of sufficient centrifugal force to properly "spin off" the coloring agents. The accumulated color agents appear as a thickened layer at that area of the garment located proximate to the geometric center of the stretcher. In addition to detracting from the artistic value of the finished garment, the accumulated deposits of coloring agents gives rise to certain drying problems including prolonged and incomplete drying of the agents.
Furthermore, in order to limit rotational vibration during the spinning process, the stretcher has invariably been positioned so that it is balanced weightwise relative to the central axis of spin. This balanced relationship of the prior art stretcher limits the artistic effects that can be obtained to those that are symmetrical relative to a spin axis that coincides with the geometric center of the stretcher.
Also due to the high speed of rotation of the stretcher, a vacuum is, in some instances, created between the housing of the apparatus and the stretcher which may cause distortion of the stretcher and associated garment. This distortion can affect the free flow of the coloring agents which undermines the effect sought in the art design. It also causes unnecessary air turbulence which, in many instances, causes excess coloring agent to be thrown back onto the garment, thereby causing damage to the design.
Additionally, it has been found that users of the spin technique and associated apparatuses will normally place freshly painted garments into drying ovens without removing the garment from the stretcher. In many instances, depending on the material used for the stretcher, the conditions encountered during the drying process tend to warp the stretcher, eventually rendering it useless for future use. This is particularly true for large sized stretchers in which even a small percentage of warpage may render the stretcher useless. It has also been discovered that due to the bulky and non-porous nature of the stretcher means, drying is often prolonged and incomplete since the stretcher, due to its relatively large mass, acts as a heat sink.
Another serious drawback of prior art stretchers concerns the application of the coloring agents to the garments. As would be understood by one skilled in the art, once the garment to be decorated is positioned on the stretcher it is common for the user to apply the coloring agents directly to the garment using, generally, a squeeze bottle type applicator. It has been discovered that with the garment fitted over a rigid underlying stretcher, the garment tends to be pulled and snagged by the applicator's nozzle, thereby resulting in incomplete or irregular application of the coloring agents. Moreover, due to snagging caused by the underlying stretcher, the cloth to be decorated is, in many instances, subjected to varying degrees of stretch at the point of color application. It is this change in amount of material stretch which has been found to cause uneven opacity of the applied material which severely detracts from the appearance of the completed design. Using direct application by hand it has been found that a smooth even application of the coloring agent is almost impossible to accomplish thereby preventing the artist the full benefit of his artistic expression.